HUTTON INQUIRY News Release (HI-17) issued by the Government News Network on 11 August 2004

Following the leak of the inquirys report to a national newspaper shortly before its publication notwithstanding the precautions which were taken to guard against such a leak, Lord Hutton asked the solicitor to the Inquiry to conduct an investigation to try to discover the source of the leak. The solicitor carried out a full and careful investigation but was unable to discover the source.

When Lord Hutton gave evidence to the Public Administration Select Committee on May 13, he told the committee that he had asked for further investigations to be undertaken and that those investigations would include a consideration of whether there were any additional steps which could be taken in the future to ensure that confidential reports do not leak before publication.

Such investigations were put in train by the Department for Constitutional Affairs and have now been completed. No particular weaknesses in the measures which were taken to guard the confidentiality of the report were found. The source of the leak remains unknown. Steps taken to protect sensitive reports before publication will be kept under regular review.

Notes for Editors

1. For security reasons no further information will be disclosed on the steps taken to identify the leak.

2. Lord Hutton will not be giving any interviews.

End

Well, no one is to blame, security does not need strengthened, no statements will be given,

Obvious it wasn't a "leak", merely an "early release of information," clearly by Bliar's outgoing spin doctor and liar-in-chief Campbell to his pet rag.

A "leak" is what a civil servant is guilty of, when he or she has tried all other avenues to raise a matter of grace concern, including writing direct to the minister. Hopefully Mr Moxton's employment tribunal will succeed, and hopefuly the former minister for immigration is enjoying her reduced salary!

No 10 hunt for Sunday Times leaker is leaked
ROBERT WINNETT, DAVID LEPPARD AND DAVID CRACKNELL
TONY BLAIR has launched an unprecedented molehunt within Whitehall over damaging leaks of confidential government papers to The Sunday Times.

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Bliar's son is obviously responsible - they are either getting him pissed, or relying on his inherited ego and big mouth!

The leaks are paralysing government, as ministers are terrified that their inner-most thoughts and workings are being laid bare. We spend a huge amount of time discussing how and when announcements are presented but the public are being given access to the raw material.